Rising Dawn
by swordofbread
Summary: Two Moons afterward, something strange is happening to Leafpool. Two moons afterward, she must come to face reality. Two moons afterward, her heart is ripped apart again.


Leafpool paced around her den. Spasms ripped through her stomach, though she couldn't figure out why. It almost knocked the breath out of herwhen another spasm clenched through her insides. She was now in front of the den, the moonlight casting an ominous glow around the camp. She took a breath and stepped out, her fur brushing against the ferns that lined the path. The cool air brushed past her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. Another spasm rippled down her chest, her legs shook with pain. She looked up to the stars, but a wall of clouds blocked their glow. Leafpool blinked. Am I dying? She shook her head, StarClan couldn't abandon her now! Not after she gave up Crowfeather for them!  
A snowflake drifted down from the sky; it was strange for it to snow so late in leafbare when newly sprouted buds dotted the tree tops. She willed herself to take another step forward, toward the warriors' den. If she was dying, she wanted to spend it with her sister, her best friend. Another shock of pain rattled her mind, she fell to the ground, landing in a soft laying of snow. Her eyes wide with fear, what if the clan found her the next morning, dead? ThunderClan would be without a medicine cat! She willed the clouds to clear from the sky, and they did, a little, showing the same three stars. She didn't know who they were, but they were watching her. Leafpool glanced back at the warriors' den, the ferns around it rustled and a slender ginger she-cat padded out, her fur eerily glowing in the moonlight. She looked over at Leafpool, her eyes widening in fear.  
"Leafpool," Squirrelflight ran over to her sister's body, her breath slow and ragged. "Leafpool, what happened, I could feel your pain," Squirrelflight whispered.  
Leafpool winced,"I don't know," leafpool struggled to her paws, wincing as another pain shot up her spine.  
"Should I get Firestar?" Squirrelflight supported her sister with her shoulder, her breath visible on the cold night air.  
Leafpool shook her head,"No, I need herbs, they grow at the old twoleg nest," Leafpool took another step, eagerly trying to get to the entrance, then stopping. "Is there a guard tonight?" For some reason she didn't want other cats to know where she was going.  
Squirrelflight shook her head,"Firestar said it was too cold tonight," Leafpool slowly padded towards the entrance, her fur rising with fear. Another spasms made bile rise in her coughed violently and spat out the bile.  
"You alright?" Squirrelflight pressed against her sister to share warmth. Leafpool nodded vigorously.  
"Come on," The two she-cats padded side by side through the forest, stopping when leafpool needed to omit or catch her breathe, but finally they arrived at the old twoleg nest.  
"Where are those herbs?" Squirrelfight mewed, letting Leafpool settle down under the twoleg roof.  
Leafpool cried out in pain, "It should be growing next to the fence,"  
Squirrelflight trotted outside the den and came back a moment later shaking her head,"There's nothing there,"  
Leafpool winced,"It must have died through the leaf bare,"  
"Is there anything else?" Squirrelfight queried.  
"Nothing I can think of," Leafpool murmured. Squirrelfight padded over to her sister and lay next to her, their fur brushing gently. Leafpool looked out the twoleg next, back up at the sky. The three stars seemed to shimmer gently, then another star appeared. Thestar grew bigger and bigger, seeming to swim down from the sky until the misty form of a tortoiseshell she-cat. Her amber eyes looked down at the two she-cats huddled together in the snow.  
"Spottedleaf?" Squirrelflight murmured. Leafpool looked over at her sister and wondered how she knew this starry cat as well.  
"Hello dears," Spottedleaf murmured,"Leafpool, I've come for you,"  
Leafpool began to shake,"I don't want to go to StarClan yet!"  
Spottedleaf shook her head,"I'm not here to take you to StarClan, I've come here to help you,"  
Leafpool gulped,"Help me with what?"  
Spottedleaf gestured her tail to the three shimmering stars,"Those three stars have not be revealed to you yet, but they will change your life forever,"  
"How?" Squirrelfight murmured, her eyes wide in curiosity.  
"Those are your kits, Leafpool," Spottedleaf whispered.  
Leafpool narrowed her eyes,"What?"  
"You're pregnant Leafpool," Spottedleaf stepped forward, stardust sprinkling off her paws.  
Leafpool locked eyes with the pretty she-cat, this was no joke. But Leafpool still couldn't wrap her mind around it. "W-what?"  
"Two moons ago you and Crowfeather ran away together, you two mated, and now, you are going to bare his kits," Spottedleaf mewed gently, though her eyes betrayed her sorrow.  
"You mated with him?" Squirrelflight shouted to her sister, shock making her tone sound viscous. "You told me that you didn't!"  
Leafpool winced, both from her sister's words and from the blood chilling spasms. "What was I supposed to say? That I mated with a WindClan warrior! I ran away with him, thinking I would never be coming back, and we were going to start a family."  
Squirrelflight's eyes glazed over in betrayal, "What is the clan going to think about this," She snorted, "And you know what? Its not just not fair. Me and Brambleclaw have been trying for two moons to have kits, and you two ran away once."  
"Squirrelfight, please," Leafpool pleaded to her sister.  
Squirrelflight ignored her,"I wanted kits Leafpool! You are a medicine cat, you knew from day one you could never have them, and I knew that if I was to become a warrior, I could have kits! Now when I try with Brambleclaw, I've seen no results! Its not fair!"  
"Dears, please," Spottedleaf silenced the two distressed she-cats,"The kits are coming now,"  
Another spasm gripped Leafpool. She gasped and fell to her side. Spottedleaf ran to her side, along with Squirrelfight, even though her fur hadn't fallen and anger still glowed in her green eyes.  
"Alright Leafpool, I need you to push," Spottedleaf murmured, her starry paws rubbing the brown tabby she-cat's waist. Leafpool pushed the first kit out, she could feel the small bundle slip onto the ground beside her. Spottedleaf handed the golden tabby along to Squirrelflight, who began to nip off the sack and lick the kit gingerly. Another fresh wave ran down her spine.  
"The next one will come in a few," Spottedleaf promised. Squirrelflight placed the golden tabby next to Leafpool's side to let it suckle.  
"It's a tom," Squirrelflight nodded to the kit. Leafpool closed her eyes for a moment. A tom... She breathed a sigh of relief for a moment,  
"Push!" Spottedleaf urged, Leafpool held her breath and felt the next kit slide out. Spottedleaf sniffed the kit and placed it next to Squirrelflight. Squrrelflight licked it gingerly like the first, then started licking it faster and faster.  
"Spottedleaf!" Squirrelfight shrieked,"Its not breathing!" Spottedleaf turned and rushed over. Leafpool tried to raise her head to see what was going on. All she could see was a small black cat, almost identical to Crowfeather, Spottedleaf was licking its fur the wrong way. Finally the small kit opened its mouth in protest, the pinkness of its tongue bright against the dark twoleg nest. Spottedleaf placed the kit next to the other.  
"She-cat," Spottedleaf assured Leafpool. Leafpool sunk back down into her nest. Another spasm rippled through, she shreiked in protest.  
"One more," Spottedleaf murmured, eyes blinking in confidence. Leafpool groaned in agony as another side splitting pain seared down her insides. Panting, she pushed again but to no avail. She threw her head back into the ground and held her breath.  
"She needs water," Spottedleaf turned to Squirrelflight,"Get her moss and soak it in water, quickly,"  
Squirrelflight blinked and ran away through the forest.  
"Will she ever forgive me?" Leafpool groaned, watching her sister's bright ginger pelt disappear through the ferns.  
"She's your sister," Spottedleaf murmured gently, "She loves you,"  
"Would Willowpelt or Leopardfoot forgive you if they found out that you were having kits?" Leafpool groaned, pushing again in sheer agony. Spottedleaf turned to her, eyes clouded with emotion.  
"There are many things I don't know, Leafpool," She blinked, a single tear streaming down her face, "I know that you will need your sister," The two she-cats sat there for a few heartbeats, simply staring at each other sympathetically, when Squirrelflight ran back through the ferns, moss dripping under her chin. Leafpool screamed in a flash of pain, pushing the last kit out. She couldn't hear the shrill squealing of the kit, and she started to panic. Spottedleaf picked it up by the scruff and started licking it rhythmically.  
"Come on," Spottedleaf whispered,"You can do it," Leafpool watched the starry she-cat press her nose into its fur, trying to warm it. Leafpool wiggled forward to get a better glimpse, but her other two kits squeaked in protest, struggling to return to their mother's fluffy belly fur.  
Finally, the kit squeaked, Spottedleaf sighed in relief, placing the kits next to the others. Leafpool glanced up thankfully to the she-cat, but her form was fading fast.  
"Good-bye my dears," Spottedleaf whispered, her eyes no more than an outline against the twoleg walls. Leafpool turned back to her sister, crouched in the darkness glaring angrily at her sister.  
"Squirrelflight, can I have the moss?" Leafpool mewed, throat itching with thirst.  
"How dare you," Squirrelflight whispered, stepping out from among the shadows eyes glinting in moonlight. "How dare you betray the one and only cat who stayed by your side through everything," Squirrelflight shook her head, and for the first time, Leafpool felt scared. "Squirrelflight please," Leafpool murmured, pressing herself against her kits, "I need you, the clans can't find out about this, I need your help,"  
Squirrelflight snorted, "What do you expect me to do? Give them to some rogue passing through?"  
Leafpool shook her head, "Of course not! I was thinking, more along the lines of, well, you saying they were your kits,"  
Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice to no more than a whisper, "What about you?"  
Leafpool glanced down to the kits, heart twisting in more pain than she could've imagined, "I'll be fine," She lied. She forced herself to look optimistic.  
Squirrelflight glanced down, "No one can ever know I did this, not even Brambleclaw," Leafpool nodded. "The kits can never know that your their mother, or Crowfeather, you can't let anything slip," Squirrelflight warned, Leafpool was surprised by how mature her sister sounded. Leafpool nodded, Squirrelflight padded over to her sister and lay down pressing her fur against the kits. "We should go back in the morning, when you and the kits will be able to walk."  
The kits began to shiver as more snow fell around them, Squirrelflight pressed closer to the kits and wrapped her tail around the kits noses as they suckled. Leafpool blinked snow from her eye lid.  
I'm doing the right thing, aren't I? Squirrelflight is a good mother, Leafpool watched the four cats sleeping around her, like a family. She could never be apart of her kits lives, not like Squirrelflight would be, I'm not a good mother! I can never be their mother! She snuggled closer to her kits, relishing the time she had with them. She glanced over her shoulder, toward Windclan. Should I tell him? She remembered the starlit night she had ran away with Crowfeather. They told each other they were going to have a family, and he said he would always protect her. He had a right to know his kits, but not now. She hadn't talked or seen Crowfeather since those two moons ago, back at camp. She had told him they couldn't be together, because of Thunderclan. He had looked her in the eyes, told her he loved him, more than anything, but Leafpool had to hurt him, she had to let him know she couldn't be with him. So she laughed, she laughed at his face. Leafpool felt her heart twist in pain, but she couldn't let him know how much this was breaking her fragile heart. He just looked at her and walked away. Leafpool had watched his tail vanish behind the thorn barrier for the last time.  
Leafpool blinked back from her memories and imagined her kits growing, growing into strong warriors ready to give their own lives for the clans. Protecting the nursery with claws and teeth and hunting for those who couldn't. She imagined one of them becoming leader. She looked down to her biggest kit, his golden pelt sticking out like a brand of fire in the snow. He would be strong and confident, she knew it. She looked to the small she-cat who had barely survived, her chest gently rising and falling, ears twitching as snow landed on her head. Leafpool knew she would be the smartest, able to keep her brothers in line. Then Leafpool looked at hr tiny son, his gray tabby pelt barely moving as he took breaths. Leafpool didn't know anything about him, he was as a mystery as Starclan itself. Leafpool blinked, trying to stay wake, to watch her kits while she could. But she could not fight off the steadying drowsiness of the night. She lay her head on her sister's flank, the chill of the night vanishing around the cats like a bubble.  
Leafpool opened her eyes, no longer under the old twoleg nest. She was walking among faded cats, they weaved around her, they looked almost always identical, but they never interacted with each other.  
"Leafpool," A cat whispered in her tabby ear. Leafpool turned around, there was a pretty silver tabby, her fur smelled like water and fish and covered in starry dust. "I am Silverstream,"  
"You were Graystripe's mate, weren't you?" Leafpool stepped forward. Silverstream nodded. "Have you come here to punish me for having Crowfeather's kits?" She murmured.  
"No my love, I come with a message from Feathertail, and an explanation of these faded cats you see here now," Leafpool flinched, was Feathertail mad at her for stealing Crowfeather from her then breaking his heart? "Feathertail will watch over your kits like she would've watched over her own, she does not wish them an harm, dear Leafpool," Leafpool nodded thankfully.  
"What are those?" Leafpool watched a tabby walk around and squeeze between Silverstream and herself.  
"These are your memories," Silverstream answered calmly, eying two cats walking side by side beside them. Leafpool gasped, then she realized all the cats had the same tabby fur, except they differed in size, some were kits, some were apprentices, and some were medicine cats. Each one was doing something different, holding herbs, tumbling with another kit, or learning how to use herbs. "Where's Crowfeather?" Leafpool whispered, searching for more glimpses of his black pelt.  
"He's over there, with you," Silverstream nodded to two cats sitting across from each other. Leafpool could remember this, she had just thought about it before she had fallen asleep, she couldn't go through it again. She turned back to Silverstream but the silver tabby was gone. Leafpool couldn't watch her life again, it was too painful. All she could do was settle down among the grasses and hope that she would wake up next to her kits and Squirrelfight.

-  
"Come on my kits," Leafpool nudged her three kits. She stood on shaky legs with her sister by her side. "Its time to go home," One by one each kit opened their tiny eyes. The golden tabby's amber eyes blazed with confusion, the delicate she-kit's emerald green eyes gleamed, and the small gray tabby's ghostly blue eyes slightly made Leafpool twitch.  
"Follow us kits," Squirrelflight murmured, Leafpool followed from behind, the dawn sky rising steadily over the forest. She watched the kits fall into snowdrifts, fishing them out. A few times the kits stumbled and ran into things, but the smallest kit had fallen and ran into things more than his siblings. He had stopped multiple times and started to wail for Leafpool, she had decided to scoop him up and carry him through the snow. They had to get back to camp before they were missed.  
"Its cold!" The small she-kit complained, her paws covered in snow and her jaw chattering like a bird.  
"I know sweet," Squirrelflight grabbed her by the scruff and carried her, she glanced back to Leafpool,"Run ahead and get help, I'll stay with the kits," Leafpool nodded and placed the kit below her paws and went as fast as she could through the forest, her stomach still aching from labor. She ran throught eh forest, tail streamed out behind her. She turned and ran down the thorn barrier, running into her mother.  
"Leafpool! There you are! Where's Squirrelflight?" Her mother looked over Leafpool's shoulder.  
"Squirrelflight had kits last night, we were walking through the forest, she went into labor," Leafpool gasped for breath.  
"She's still out there?" Sandstorm pressed, Leafpool nodded. Sandstorm whipped around and ran through the thorn barrier. Leafpool followed her. Sandstorm ran to Bambleclaw and Firestar who were huddled over the fresh kill pile. Leafpool ran next to them.  
"Leafpool says Squirrelfight had kits last night, they're in the forest and we need to find them now," Sandstorm explained quickly. Brambleclaw's ears pricked in interest.  
"Kits?" He gasped leaping to his paws.  
"Two toms and a she-kit," Leafpool nodded.  
"Sandstorm get Brightheart and Cloudtail to help and meet us outside of camp," Firestar ordered, Sandstorm ran past and vanished into the warriors' den.  
"Come on," Leafpool urged rushing out of the camp with Brambleclaw and Firestar behind her. Sandstorm, Brightheart and Cloudtail were behind them.  
"Where are they?" Brightheart asked Leafpool quickly.  
"This way, Leafpool took the lead and ran through the forest and nearing where Squirrelflight was huddled around the kits. She found her sister and her kits underneath a bush sheltered from the wind.  
"Brambleclaw," Squirrelflight gasped when Brambleclaw rounded the corner with Firestar, Sandstorm, Brightheart, and Cloudtail.  
"Squirrelfight, why didn't you tell me you were pregnant," Brambleclaw sighed, helping her and the kits out of the bush.  
"I didn't know," Squirrelflight glanced at Leafpool. Leafpool felt her heart break, but she nodded slightly.  
"Lets get them all back to camp so Leafpool can have a proper look at them," Firestar padded over and picked up the large golden tom. Sandstorm picked up the she-kit and Brightheart an Cloudtail gathered the small gray tom in their jaws. Brambleclaw supported Squirrelfligh with his shoulder and Leafpool joined her on the other side.  
"Did you name them?" Brambleclaw whispered to his mate excitedly, Squirrelflight glanced at Leafpool.  
"Leafpool did, tell him Leafpool," Squirrelfight pressed. Leafpool wanted to cuff her over the ears, she hadn't even thought of names for her kits.  
"Er, the golden tabby is Lionkit," she thought back to the young she-cats green eyes reminding her of a holly leaf,"The black she-kit is Hollykit, and the gray tabby, his name is Jaykit,"  
"Beautiful," Brambleclaw whispered to himself, Leafpool watched his eyes sparkle with excitement. She felt sick to her stomach watching the clan cats be so happy about the kits.  
"Come on Leafpool," Squirrelflight whispered,"Lets get back to camp," 


End file.
